Last tour ever
by Rlybro
Summary: Peter's class is going on a field trip to the Avengers Tower and he's finally getting the tour he always wanted.


'Okay class, one second before you go.'

Peter sat back down in his seat. Ms. Warren waited until everyone was seated before she continued.

'You all know that we do our best here at Midtown High to guide you through (education) and career choices. That's why we organize yearly field trips to large corporations to give you guys a better picture of what 'the workplace' will look like. Last year, we went to Oscorp-' Peter winced. He definitely remembered that trip. '-this year, I managed to pull a few strings, and….' Ms. Warren was trying hard to suppress a grin.

'And what!' Charles called out. 'Tell us!'

'Yeah, Come on Ms. Warren!' Cindy followed.

'Okay, Okay! I managed to get us a tour at the Avengers tower!' Ms. Warren squealed.

The class was shocked, and suddenly everyone was shouting their questions at once. It was extremely chaotic and it took a couple of minutes before Ms. Warren managed to calm everyone down. 'Okay, guys. Relax', she said. 'I'm just as excited as you are, believe me. Anyway, as you probably all know, Stark Industries sold the building. But since the moving schedule has been delayed, I managed to get us a tour. It's probably their last tour ever so consider yourselves lucky.'

The class became a bit rowdy again, but Ms. Warren continued. 'Don't forget to have your parent's sign the permission slip, or you won't be joining us this Friday. I'll hand them out at the door. Now get out of my classroom!'

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'Dude, this is so cool!' Ned gushed as they sat down in the cafeteria. 'Field trip to the Avenger's Tower!' Ned gave Peter a sheepish grin. 'But I guess it's not that special for you. I mean, you're basically an Avenger.'

'Who's basically an Avenger?'

Peter and Ned both jumped at the sound of MJ's voice behind them. She sat down next to Peter.

'NOThing!' Ned yelped. Peter elbowed him in the side. Ned faked a cough. 'No one, I uuh…'

Peter interrupted before Ned could accidentally spill his secret. 'Well because I intern at Stark Industries and Tony Stark's an Avenger, so it's almost like I'm part of the Avengers, right?' He gave MJ a weak smile, hoping that it sounded convincible.

She eyed him suspiciously, and Peter got the feeling that she knew more than she let on. 'Not really', MJ said eventually. 'But I'll let you dorks dream on.'

Peter and Ned shared a relieved look.

'So, are you even excited to go on this field trip?' Ned asked. 'Or is this just another day in the office for you?'

'Of course I'm excited!' Peter exclaimed. 'I have a Stark internship, but I never got the tour. Yes, I tinker with the gadgets in the labs, but they have Mr. Stark's first couple of iron man suits on display down there! They also have old discarded weapons, like Hawkeye's bows and new prototypes of Black Widow's Taser batons! I've always wanted to see it, but I never got around to do it.' To be honest, Peter had only gone to the tower a couple of times. He was officially allowed to go to the labs and hang out with Mr. Stark after the vulture incident, but they'd already rescheduled Moving Day, so Peter usually went to Mr. Stark's private lab in his new mansion upstate.

Ned grinned. 'Well, you're dream's coming true, buddy. We're getting the tour.' Peter beamed at his best friend.

'You guys are such nerds', MJ sighed, but Peter could see a faint smile on her lips.

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The week passed by in a flash.

On Friday morning, Peter was shaken awake by May.

'Peter!' She called as Peter buried his face further into the pillow. He stayed out late patrolling yesterday, he'd stopped 2 robberies and walked a lady home before crashing into bed at 2 am.

'Peter', his aunt tried again, sounding a bit irritated, 'you're going to be late for school.'

'ugh', Peter groaned. He didn't want to wake up. His bed was so soft, so warm, he wanted to sleep forever.

'Peter, you're going to miss the bus to the Avengers Tower if you don't hurry up.'

Bus to… the Avengers Tower? Peter thought sleepily. Happy always picks me up with his car…. Avengers tower… bus…school….THE FIELD TRIP!

Peter shot out of bed in an instant, causing May to jump back in surprise. 'I'm going to be late for school!' He called out.

May placed her hand on her hip. 'That's what I've been trying to tell you for the past fifteen minutes!'

'Shit, shit, shit, shit', Peter cursed, hurrying to dress and pack his back. 'What time is it?' He asked, scurrying past May to get to the bathroom.

'It's Seven Forty-five!' May answered from the kitchen. Shit. That means he had to be at the subway station in four minutes if he wanted to be at school at eight. The station was six minutes' walk away, but if he sprinted he could make it in two, probably. He had about one minute to leave the apartment.

Peter ran out of the bathroom, took the lunch May prepared from the kitchen counter, and put his sneakers on. He didn't have the time to tie his laces, so he just shoved them in his shoes. Peter grabbed his jacket and was about rush out of the door when his aunt called.

'Wait! Peter! I have to tell you something!'

'Sorry, May!' Called. 'I really have to go, text it! Love you!' He shut the door behind him and started running.

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'Dude', Ned said as Peter plopped down next to him in the bus. 'You were cutting it real close. We almost left without you.'

'Yeah, I know', Peter answered, placing his bag on his lap, 'I overslept. Long night.'

His friend nodded understandingly. 'Anything interesting?'

'Not really, just the usual.' Peter opened his backpack and started to check whether he had forgotten something. Phone, check. Wallet, check. Notebook and pens, check. Spiderman suit for emergencies, check. Stark Industries ID…..Not in the bag.

Peter cursed, digging frantically in his backpack. He had to find the ID, Mr. Stark would kill him if he'd lost it. It wasn't just any ID, it was a high clearance for every SI and Avengers facility, including the private living quarters. He searched his backpack, his pockets, his jacket, his backpack again, but he couldn't find it.

Peter slumped down in his seat. This is it, he thought, staring blankly at the seat in front of him. The end of Peter Parker, age 15 and a half, death by the wrath of his mentor/hero (/father figure, though he wasn't going to admit that one).

'Peter?' Ned asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'Dude, what's wrong?'

'I lost it', Peter whispered, still staring ahead.

'You lost it?' Ned sounded confused. 'What did you lose?'

'My Stark Industries entrance ID', Peter groaned, turning to look at his best friend. 'I lost it, and now Mr. Stark's going to kill me. Him and Ms. Potts. And Happy.'

'Or worse, Peter gasped. 'They're gonna ban me from the labs for the rest of my life!'

'It won't be that bad', Ned reassured him. 'Right?' He added after a moment.

'I don't know!' Peter whined as he sunk further down into his seat.

'Are you sure you didn't just leave it at home or something?' Ned asked.

Peter shot up. 'Of course!' He gasped. 'Ned, you're a genius.'

Ned grinned proudly. 'I'm your man in the chair', he said. 'I've got your back, bro.'

Peter pulled out his phone and headphones. 'Hey, Karen', He said, activating the AI.

'Hello, Peter', Karen responded through his headphones. 'How can I help you?'

'Do you know if my SI entrance ID is in my room? I kinda lost it.'

'Hmmm… One second, Peter', the AI answered. 'I'll search through the footage of the last couple of days. This might take a while since there are quite a lot of obstacles in the room.'

Peter rolled eyes. This was Karen's way of telling him that his room was a mess. Leave it to Tony Stark to build an AI with a sense of humor and sass.

'I've finished searching', the AI announced after a moment. 'Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find your ID. It's not in your room or anywhere else in the apartment.'

Peter sighed in defeat. 'Do you know where else it could be, Karen?'

'Your last visit to a Stark facility was last Sunday at the Avengers Tower', Karen said. Peter remembered the trip to the tower. Mr. Stark showed him a couple of interesting projects SI was working on and introduced him to some scientists.

'So?'

'Shall I ask F.R.I.D.A.Y whether your ID has been left at the tower?' Karen suggested.

'Yes please', Peter answered, hoping that it wouldn't be another dead end.

'This might take a moment', Karen informed him.

'And?' Ned asked when Peter took out one earphone. 'What did the suit-lady say?' Technically Karen wasn't only in his suit anymore, but Peter wasn't in the mood to correct his friend.

'It's not in my room, or anywhere else in the apartment', Peter sighed. 'But Karen's asking F.R.I.D.A.Y if it's at the tower.'

'First of all', Ned said, 'that's so cool! One AI talking to another. F.R.I.D.A.Y's Mr. Stark's AI, right? The one connected to the buildings and suits.' Peter nodded. 'Wow,' Ned said, starstruck. 'I'm going to meet Tony Stark's AI- wait, do we get to meet, or like talk to it?' Peter shrugged.

Seeing Peter's expression, Ned toned down his excitement and placed a hand on reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. 'It's okay', he said, 'I'm sure you'll find your ID. What's the worst thing that could've happened to it? Well, on second thought… Maybe it got stolen by a supervillain who's now planning on hunting down the Avengers or something. Or by another company's spy trying to ruin Stark Industries. '

Peter buried his face in his hands and started to groan again. Why did he always mess things up? Why couldn't he do one little thing right?

'What's he groaning about?' MJ's head popped up above them. 'Not that I care, but I'm trying to read and it's annoying.'

'Sorry', Peter muttered.

'Peter lost his entrance ID for the Avengers Tower, and now he's freaking out because there a possibility that bad guys now have access to SI facilities', Ned summarized.

'Didn't you say that there were some extra security measures?' MJ asked.

Peter perked up. '…Yeah', he said slowly. 'I still need to type in a password and do an iris scan before entering secured labs and other places... How could I forget that! Thanks MJ, I owe you one.'

'I'll hold you to that', MJ said. 'Now shut up, I want to read.' She sat back down on the chair

'Hello, Peter', Karen's voice sounded in his ear. Peter quickly plugged his other earphone back in.

'Karen! Please tell me you have some good news.'

'Your pass was found in one of the labs and has been brought to the reception', Karen told him. 'You can pick it up when you arrive at the Avengers Tower.'

'Oh my God, thank you!' Peter squealed. 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!'

'Is there anything else I can do for you, Peter?' The AI asked.

'No, I'm fine', Peter answered.

'Okay', Karen said. 'Have fun, Peter.'

'Thanks.'

Peter was about to tell Ned the good news when Flash started to call him.

'Just ignore him', Ned said, and Peter did. Well, for as long as possible.

'YO, Parker!' Flash called for the 5th time. 'I know you can hear me!'

Peter sighed as he turned to face him. 'What do you want, Flash?' He asked in annoyance.

'What I want?' Flash responded. 'I want to know what you're going to do when we arrive at the Tower. Everyone will know your internship's a lie, Parker. Just like the time you said that you were friends with Spider Man. You're a liar, Peter Parker!'

'That's not true!' Ned called out in Peter's defence. 'Peter does have an internship, and he is friends with Spider Man! He has achieved more at Stark Industries than you ever will, Flash! Not that it matters, cause you'll probably end up at Hammer Tech like the rest of the losers!'

The entire bus oohed at Ned's remark.

'Burn!' Abe called out.

Flash sputtered as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

'Mr. Thompson! Mr. Leeds!' Ms. Warren called out from the front of the bus. 'Stop yelling, and sit back down!'

Peter high-fived Ned as he sat down.

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When they arrived at the tower, Ms. Warren told the class to wait in front of the restrooms. Instead of waiting with the rest of the class, Peter followed the physics teacher to the reception.

'Peter, I told you to wait', Ms. Warren scolded.

'I know', Peter said, 'But I have my own pass. Well, I had one, but I lost it, so I have to retrieve it at the reception.'

Ms. Warren eyed him with suspicion.

'The Stark internship, remember?' Peter said.

She didn't answer, but she also didn't stop him from following her to the reception. She did, however, keep an eye on him as he held the conversation with the receptionist.

'Uhm, Hello', Peter greeted. The Receptionist, a blonde lady around her 30s with red pointy glasses, looked up from her computer.

'How can I help you?' She asked. 'If you're here for the school trip, then I think your teacher is already checking in.'

'What? Oh, no, I'm not here for that. Well, I am here for the trip, but I'm here for something else', Peter rambled.

'Go bother your teacher, kid', the lady said. 'We're busy.'

'Wait', Peter said. 'I need my entrance ID.'

'Like I said', the receptionist drawled, sounding annoyed, 'Go bother your teacher. She's right there getting your passes.'

'No, miss', Peter pressed, 'you don't understand. I already have one. I lost it last weekend, and I know it's here. My name is Peter Parker, will you please check it for me?'

The receptionist sighed and opened a drawer. 'I swear, if this is a joke', she muttered.

'It's not, I promise.'

'Ah', she said after moment searching. She held up a card. 'Peter Parker.'

'That's me.' Peter confirmed, holding out his hand to take the card.

'Not so fast', the receptionist told him. 'I'll have to make sure it's really yours.'

'Of course', Peter nodded, a bit embarrassed that he forgot the obvious.

The lady scanned the card. 'What the hell?' She cursed under her breath.

'Something wrong?' Peter asked.

The receptionist glanced up at him. 'This is a Level 10 Alpha security clearance', she said. 'There's no way this is yours.'

'But it is! I swear I'm not pulling your leg', Peter said. 'I'll prove it.'

The receptionist still seemed suspicious about it, but she placed a small wireless keyboard and an iris scanner on the counter. 'Look into the camera,' she instructed.

Peter did what he was told, then he typed in his password.

'Holy shit', The receptionist breathed as the computer confirmed that the pass really belonged to him. She handed him the card. 'Wow, kid, you must be something special.'

Peter rubbed his neck as his cheeks reddened. 'Not really', he muttered, before turning around to leave. 'Oh! One more question', Peter said turning around again. 'Uhm, do you know if they alert like, I don't know, Mr. Stark, or Happy when an ID is found?'

'Well, we usually don't', the receptionist said. 'But an ID with a clearance level like this… I'm sorry, kid. They've been notified.'

Peter sighed. He was in so much trouble.

'Good luck', She said as he turned around again.

'Thanks.'

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Ned and MJ approached him when was back at the restrooms.

'Do you have it?' Ned asked.

Peter them a weak smile and showed them his card. 'I've got it.'

'That's great!' Ned said. 'Wait... why aren't you happy? You've got your ID back.'

Peter sighed. 'Yeah, but they've alerted Mr. Stark and Happy about it, so they know I've lost it.'

'oh, man', Ned said sympathetically. 'Sucks to be you right now.'

'I know.'

'Wait, hold still', MJ said. She took out her phone and snapped a picture of his face. 'I'll add this to my 'people in distress' collection.'

'Why do even do that?' Ned asked.

'Practice', MJ shrugged. 'Got to get my references from somewhere.'

'For what?' Ned asked, still confused. 'Practicing being in distress?'

'No, you dumbass', MJ said. 'For my facial expression drawings.'

'Oooh….'

'Okay class! Gather 'round!' Ms. Warren called.

The class walked toward the teacher and another lady. She had long brown curls and didn't look much older than 30. They stood in half a circle around the two adults.

'Hello, guys', the Lady said. 'My name's Maia and I'll be your guide for today. This will be my last tour ever so let's get started and make this the best tour ever!'

The group cheered.

'When Ms. Warren here calls your name, please come forward and get you visitor's badge and a workbook. Remember to pin your badge on your shirt where everyone can see it. Happy, our head of security, is pretty strict about that. Once you have your badge, you show the security guard your bag, scan your badge, and walk through the metal detector.'

One by one, Peter's classmate's names got called and they went through security until Peter was the last one left.

'Oh,' Maia frowned, looking at Peter, 'we don't have enough badges. I'll go get one more.'

'No, no, there's no need for that!' Peter said, stopping her before she went back to the reception. 'I have my own.'

Maia's eyebrows rose in surprise. 'Oh, in that case, grab a workbook and go through security.'

Peter scanned his ID and walked through the metal detector. When he did, the machine's light glowed blue and F.R.I.D.A.Y's voice sounded through its speakers.

'Welcome Mr. Parker', F.R.I.D.A.Y. said. 'Mr. Stark is currently in this building, shall I alert him of your presence?'

'NO!' Peter called. He cleared his throat, 'I mean, no thanks. I'm on a field trip.'

'Have fun with your classmates', the AI said.

'Thanks FRI.'

Peter walked towards the rest of his class. They were all staring at him.

'Duuuude,' Abe drawled, walking up to him with the rest of the decathlon team, 'did you just spoke with the metal detector?'

Cindy nudged him in the side. 'Not the metal detector, you idiot. That was Stark's AI!'

Ms. Warren and Maia called for their attention before they could ask further questions.

'We're going up to the third floor', Maia said as they walked over to the elevators. 'We won't all fit in the same elevator, so we're splitting the group in three.'

Peter ended up in the third group with Ned. Maia came up to him as they waited for the elevator to come back down after the second group.

'That's the first time I heard F.R.I.D.A.Y through the metal detector', she said as a matter of greeting.

Peter didn't really know how to answer.

'You said you have your own badge', Maia continued. 'How did you get it?'

'I have an internship', Peter answered.

'Really? That's pretty cool', Maia said. 'What kind of internship?'

'I, uh, get to work in the labs and help with some projects', Peter said. He spoke the truth, but left out the 'Tony Stark is my mentor' part.

The elevator opened with a 'ding', ending their conversation.

'Hey Peter', Ned whispered.

'What?´ Peter whispered back.

'What floor do you usually go to?'

Peter looked the plethora of buttons. He usually just stood in the elevator while F.R.I.D.A.Y brings him to wherever Mr. Stark was.

'80 and higher', Peter answered. Those were the levels above the red line, where the private labs and living quarters were.

'Cooool.'

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The exhibition hall was amazing. It was dark, and the lights of the exhibits went on whenever you passed them. They started with Howard Stark's inventions, and the beginning of the Stark Industries.

They moved on to the World's Fairs and Stark Expos.

Then they arrived at the ark reactors.

'This is a model of the original ark reactor', Maia told them. 'It was built by Howard Stark in the 60's and it was Stark Industries main source of energy until it got destroyed a couple of years ago.'

The ark reactor was incredibly cool, but the thing that caught everyone's eye was the smaller versions of the reactor next to the model.

'On its left, you can see the original miniature ark reactor that Tony Stark built when he was held captive in Afghanistan', Maia continued, causing the students to awe. 'Next to it is a newer version of the Ark Reactor, powered by Mr. Stark's the new and still unnamed element- since the name 'badassium' wasn't allowed. It's a common misconception that the element is created by Tony Stark alone. The theory of a new element was actually developed by his father, Howard. But Howard Stark knew that the technology back then was not advanced enough to actually create the element. That why he left it for his son to figure out. To be honest, our technology now still isn't that advanced. Tony Stark, however, managed to create the technology all on his own. Some rumors say that he did it all in a single weekend! Incredible, isn't it?'

As the class moved on to the next exhibit, Peter stayed behind and looked at the reactors. Would he be able to create something like this in his life? Will he ever live up to Mr. Stark's expectations? Probably not, Peter thought with a sigh as he followed his classmates. But I can at least try.

The next exhibit was the one Peter had been looking forward to the most: The Avengers.

Peter felt like a little kid in a candy store. He saw Mr. Stark's first fully functioning Iron Man suit, prototypes of Captain America's shields, Hawkeye's bows, Black widow's bites and guns, a life-sized wax figure of the Hulk, and… a taser next to Thor?

The original Avengers, it said on a plaque. These were the heroes he grew up with. The ones who protected the world against the invading aliens. They were the reason Peter was still here instead of in some Alien slavery camp or something. Thanks to them he could live his life and do his part at protecting the citizens of New York.

The newer Avengers stood behind the window next to the original ones. But before he could check it out, he was called over by Ned.

'Hey Peter!' His best friend called. 'They have a Spider Man exhibit!'

'Really?!' Peter rushed over to Ned. He couldn't believe he actually had a place among the other heroes.

Peter stopped dead in his track when he saw his window.

The mannequin behind the glass was wearing his first Spider Man suit. The red and blue baggy onesie like suit. With the goggles.

There was a handwritten note beneath the suit. 'We all have to start somewhere…' It read. Peter recognized the handwriting: it was Mr. Stark's.

'Nooo…..' Peter groaned. Where did he even get it from?! Peter thought. Then he remembered that he kind of pissed off May a couple of months ago… But she couldn't have been the one who did this, right?

Peter snapped out of his thought when Ned nudged him in the sides. 'Look here!' he said, pointing at the info board beneath a new design of his suit. 'After the Vulture incident, it was decided that Spider Man would be announced as the new Avenger during a press conference. Minutes before the conference began, Mr. Stark informed Spider Man of the news. Spider Man, however, declined the offer, saying that he'd rather stay and be Queen's Neighbourhood Spider. Mr. Stark, unable to call off the press conference, then proceeded to announce his proposal to the world…'

Ned turned to look at Peter. 'You're the reason they're getting married!' Ned whispered.

'Holy shit', Peter breathed as the news sank in. 'He said it was a test!'

'What?' Ned asked, not understanding.

'When I declined', Peter said, 'I asked him whether it was a test. I didn't believe him when he told me about the press. He said yes! He told me it was a test.'

'Apparently not', Ned shrugged. 'But admit it, it's pretty awesome that you're the one who caused the world's most beloved power couple to tie the knot. They'd better invite you to the wedding.'

'I'm already invited', Peter answered, still wondering whether he was dreaming.

'Can I be your plus one?' Ned asked excitedly.

'Sorry', Peter murmured. 'I'm bringing May.'

'You'd better tell me all about it after', Ned said.

'I will', Peter promised.

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They left the exhibition hall shortly after.

'Were going back to the elevator', Maia announced. 'We'll be going to the labs on the 25th floor. There, my colleagues will tell you about some of the researches we do.'

They were greeted by a man in a lab coat once they stepped out of the elevator.

'My name is Eric', He said, 'and I'll be showing you guys around the lab and explain some of the things we do here. Now, if you'll go and grab a lab coat and a pair of safety glasses, then we'll be ready to go.'

The students did as they were told and followed the man through the door. They had to scan their badges again before they could enter the lab. His classmates seemed fascinated the screen that identified them when they passed.

Eric led them to a long table with different gadgets.

'Okay, everyone's here?' Eric asked. Peter could see Ms. Warren nod. 'Great! So, this is the testing department. Here we get all the prototypes from the other departments and we test each one of 'em before we give it the red or green stamp. Here in front of me are a couple of products that got the red stamp. I want you to split up into groups of three and test these prototypes for yourself and find out why they got the red stamp. Once you've done that, you'll have to find a way to improve the product so it'll pass the test.'

Peter teamed up with Ned and MJ, they were done in no time, so they grabbed another gadget to test. Peter was having a great time, but of course it didn't last too long.

Ned had just brought the second gadget back to their table when Peter heard Flash's conversation with Eric.

'Great job,' Eric praised. 'When you guys are older, you can try and apply for an internship here at SI. Most interns start here at the testing department.'

'Peter has an internship here', Flash told Eric.

'Peter?' The man asked. 'Who's that?'

'Him', Flash answered, no doubt pointing right at Peter. 'The one in the red shirt.'

'Hmmm…' The Eric hummed. 'I don't think I know him.'

'HA!' Flash yelled. 'I KNEW IT! Peter lied about the internship. His entrance card probably isn't even his!'

'Now, son, calm down a bit', Eric said. 'Not everyone starts here at testing.'

Flash scoffed. Ned seemed like he wanted to say something, and Peter was about to tell him that Flash wasn't worth it when his spider senses alerted him that someone was approaching the lab. Peter listened closely. His stomach dropped, he recognized those footsteps.

'Shit', Peter cursed.

'What's wrong?' MJ asked.

'Hide me!' He said. 'Quick, before he-' Too late. Peter heard the door slide open.

'Who?' Ned asked.

'Mr. Stark!' Eric greeted. 'I didn't know you were coming!'

'And I didn't know my lab turned into a kindergarten', Tony answered. 'Who are these kids?'

'They're on a school trip', Eric told Tony.

'The trip is scheduled on Friday', Tony said. Peter suspected that he'd locked himself up in the labs for an entire week again.

'uhm, it's Friday, sir.'

'We're from Midtown High', Ms. Warren said. 'It's amazing that Stark Industries allows schools to take a peek at the workplace. It really inspires the students to work harder and appreciate their education. We're so grateful for this opportunity.'

While Ms. Warren was talking to Mr. Stark, Peter was trying his best to hide from sight.

'You said you're from midtown?' Tony asked. Peter couldn't hear a reply so he assumed she nodded.

'Mr. Stark!' Flash called. Peter heard him scurry towards the billionaire. 'Do you really know Peter Parker?' That little shit, Peter thought.

'Know him?' Mr. Stark answered. 'Of course I know Peter. He's my intern.'

'Y-your intern?' Flash sputtered in disbelief. God, Peter really wanted to see the look on Flash's face.

'Yeah, like my PA who I don't need to pay', Tony said. Peter rolled his eyes at the comment. 'I'm kidding, by the way, before you sue me for child abuse. Anyway, Eric, is my thing ready?'

'Yeah, I've just finished testing it yesterday', Eric answered.

'Great. And Peter, if that's your way of hiding, then you're doing a terrible job. Half your head is sticking out above the table.'

Peter sighed and stood up to face the truth. 'Hey Mr. Stark.' He could feel his classmate's stares.

'Hey kid.' The smile his mentor gave him made him wince. Tony was definitely angry. 'I'm going to borrow your student for a little while.' He gestured for Peter to follow him to the end of the room.

'Good luck', Ned whispered as Peter passed.

'I'll definitely need it', Peter muttered.

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Tony was waiting for him, arms crossed and leaning against the wall. Peter took a deep breath before the confrontation.

'So,' Tony started when Peter arrived, 'first of all, I want to know why no one told me that you were here.'

'Mr. Parker asked me not to inform you of his presence', F.R.I.D.A.Y answered. Peter sensed that some of his classmates jumped at the sudden voice. He also sensed their staring eyes following Tony and his every move.

Tony raised an eyebrow at F.R.I.D.A.Y's response. 'Oh, did he now?'

'Yes, he did', the AI answered.

'It's a rhetorical question, FRI', Tony said, then he muttered something about needing to update his AI's to understand sarcasm.

'Anyway', Tony continued. 'I think you already know why I'm here having this boring ass talk with you.'

Peter nodded, not looking the man in the eye.

'Pepper and I trusted you with a lot of responsibilities when we handed you the ID. You can't just leave these things lying around.'

'I know,' Peter muttered, 'and I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen.'

'Sorry ain't gonna cut it kid', Tony said, then sighed. 'You can stop avoiding eye contact, kid. I'm not going to punish you or take your ID away. We both know well that worked out the last time.'

Peter's head shot up. 'Really?'

'Yes. But if this happens again, I'll make sure that your aunt grounds you and you'll be banned from the labs for a month.'

Peter opened his mouth to complain, but Tony shut him down.

'You really want to argue with me? Cause I can make it two months, or longer.'

'No!' Peter said hastily. 'It's totally fair, I absolutely agree with you. I promise it won't happen again.'

'Good. Now keep yourself out of trouble', Tony warned. 'These talks always make me feel like my dad. I hate it. See you tonight.' He walked pass Peter to pick up a large box from one of the tables.

'Wait!' Peter called, following Tony. 'What do you mean you'll see me tonight? My next trip to the lab is next weekend.'

'May didn't tell you?' Tony frowned.

'Tell me what?' Peter asked.

Tony's frown disappeared and there was a grin on his face. The man's eyes shone with amusement. 'You get to stay at the compound tonight.'

Peter almost hugged Tony before remembering the box in the man's hand and everyone else in the room.

'Oh my GOD! Really?' Peter all but squealed. But his excitement soon turned into suspicion when he saw the look on Tony's face. 'Wait… Why do I get to stay at the compound?'

'Well, Friday night's date night', Tony said with his shit-eating grin. 'And nosy teenage nephews need to get out of the house.'

Peter's jaw dropped.

'Don't look at me like that,' Tony said, seeing the look on Peter's face. 'I'm doing a good deed by helping your aunt get laid. She needs it.'

Peter gaged. 'I don't want to hear that again. Ever.'

'Get over yourself, kid', Tony said, clasping his shoulder. 'It would've happened eventually. Go to the common room after the trip, Happy will take you to the compound.'

'That's all right, right?' Tony asked Ms. Warren. 'Driving back to Queens would be a waste of time.'

Peter didn't hear his teacher's answer, he was too absorbed into his own thoughts. This can't be happening, Peter thought. May's not going on a date, right? But she did say she had to tell me something this morning…. Maybe this is some kind of prank.

'This is a joke, right?' Peter asked slowly. But Tony was already walking away.

'Mr. Stark!' Peter called after him. 'Tell me you're joking. It's not a funny joke! I'm not laughing, Mr. Stark! It's not funny!' The man simply waived a hand and walked through the elevator.

It was silent after Tony left. Slowly, Peter made his way back to his seat and rested his head on the table. Ned placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

'At least he didn't kill you for losing your ID', his friend said, trying to get Peter to focus on the bright side.

'I think I'd rather be grounded', Peter grunted.

Behind them, Maia clasped her hands. 'How about some lunch?'

.

.

.

Apparently Tony said they could grab whatever they wanted from the cafeteria. But Peter seemed to have lost his superhuman appetite.

'Come on,' Ned said as they sat down behind one of the tables. 'You need to eat more than that.'

Peter sipped his strawberry smoothie. 'I'm not hungry.'

'You're always hungry', MJ said, dumping a plate of fries in front of him.

'Thanks', Peter mumbled, stuffing a handful of fries in his mouth. 'Why would May go on a date?' Peter asked after he'd swallowed.

'It's her life', MJ said, taking a sip of her smoothie. 'She can do whatever she wants.'

'But isn't it a bit too soon after uncle Ben?' Peter wondered.

'Once again, she's her own person. Whatever she does is her business, and hers only.'

'uuugh, why can't you be wrong for once?' Peter stuffed another fistful of fries in his mouth.

Michelle didn't answer. She just smiled as she took another sip.

Suddenly, Flash slammed his tray down next to Peter. 'How did you manage to convince Tony Stark to hire you?'

'Technically, I'm not getting paid-'

'You know what I mean!' Flash snarled.

'He was the one who came to me', Peter told him.

'The fuck? As if I'd believe that', Flash said. 'Fine. If you don't want to tell the truth, then don't. But we've all seen and heard the way he acted around you. If he really came to you on his own, then it's probably because he found out that you're his long lost kid or something and he pitied you. Everyone knows he used to sleep around.'

Peter balled his hands into fists. If Flash didn't shut up, Peter was going to punch him. But someone gripped Flashed shoulder before Peter lost his temper.

Flash stopped and looked up. He paled when he saw Happy's grumpy face. 'Don't go around spreading false rumors about Tony Stark or you'll end up regretting it', Happy warned. He waited until Flash nodded before letting go. 'Good. And keep your badge where I can see it.'

Flash looked down and saw that his jacket was covering his badge. He quickly pinned the badge on his jacket instead of on his shirt.

Happy gave Peter a nod before he left. 'See ya later, kid.'

'Bye Hap.'

Happy phone rang as soon as he left. Peter could hear him arguing from the other side of the cafeteria. 'No, Tony, I've seen your lab. There's only weeks old pizza and booze. I'm grabbing you something healthy from downstairs.'

Flash left as soon as he was out of Happy's sight.

'Hey Peter', Ned asked as they continued their lunch. 'Have you finished the comic I lend you?'

'Oh! Yeah I did', Peter answered. 'It was amazing! Even better than the last issue.'

'I knew you'd like it', his friend grinned. 'By the way, can you return it Monday or something? I promised my cousin that I'd lend him the comic.'

'Sure, it's in my-' Peter stopped midsentence, trying to remember where he'd put his friend's comic.

'Duuude. You didn't lose it, right?' Ned asked

'What? Pfffft, of course not! Hang on.' Peter took out his phone and texted F.R.I.D.A.Y.

SpiderMAN!: Hey Fri, is Ned's comic in the tower? -12:50 (read)

SpiderMAN!: The X-man one. -12:50 (read)

F.R.I.D.A.Y: Yes, Peter. The comic currently lies on the coffee table in the common room. Shall I ask someone to bring it down for you? -12.50

SpiderMAN!: No thanks. I just had to know where it was. -12.51 (read)

'It's upstairs', Peter told Ned. 'I'll go get it after the tour.'

.

.

.

Apparently, Ms. Warren's boyfriend worked at the Tower, so they were able to get an extra tour at a higher secured lab.

They went up to the 69th floor where Ms. Warren's boyfriend awaited them. To Peter's surprise, Ms. Warren's boyfriend turned out to be Robert, the man Peter had worked with the weekend before.

Peter walked up and greeted Robert. Ms. Warren was just as surprised to learn that Peter somehow knew her boyfriend.

Robert had just laughed and commented that it was a small world before starting the tour.

The labs on the 69th floor were used to inventing. Peter had spent some hours there helping Robert and his team with new prostheses for military soldiers.

Since most of the stuff they created was to be kept a secret, Robert was only allowed to show a small part of the labs. But it was interesting nevertheless.

When they arrived at Robert's team's lab, some of his colleagues came out to greet them. Sam, the most experienced member of the team, told them stories about his experience and gave them advice about starting to plan for the future.

When Sarah, another member of the team, spotted Peter, she pulled him out of the crowd and urged him towards the lab.

'We just need him for a couple of minutes!' She called. 'We'll return him as soon as possible!'

Peter didn't scan his ID until Ms. Warren gave him permission.

Inside the lab, Peter could once again feel his classmates staring at him. He tried to ignore it as much as possible.

Sarah presented him a problem they'd been working on. After a couple of minutes of thinking, Peter managed to give them a few ways to solve the problem.

The team of scientist fell silent after Peter answered, and he started to feel a bit awkward. 'But, uhm, if it's not the answer you were looking for, then-'

Sarah cut him off with a high-pitched squeal. Peter had to cover his ears because of his heightened senses. 'Oops, sorry!' Sarah apologized, pulling him into a tight hug immediately after.

'This-This is brilliant!' Sam exclaimed.

Peter's cheeks flushed as red as his suit. 'Thanks.'

After a round of compliments and thanks from the other scientists, Peter was finally able to go back to his classmates.

'What happened?' Ms. Warren asked. 'There was quite a commotion in there.'

'It's nothing', Peter replied. 'I just gave them some advice on how to improve their design.'

'Nothing?' Sarah scoffed, stepping out of the Lab. 'Peter, you just solved a problem we've been working on for three months in five minutes! You're a genius!' She ruffled his hair.

Peter felt his cheeks heat up again. 'You just needed some new perspective', he said.

'You're too humble', Sarah said. 'I'll stop embarrassing you now. Feel free to come to the new lab any time you want. We can definitely use that brain of yours.'

Maia led them back to the elevator after that.

'We'll be going down to the lobby again, now', Maia said. 'Unfortunately that'll be the end of this tour.'

The class voiced its disappointment.

Maia gave them a soft smile. 'It's been a memorable tour', she said, glancing over at Peter. 'I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did.' Maia looked as if she wanted to continue, but she was interrupted when the elevator doors opened and Pepper Potts stepped out. She seemed surprised by the group of students in front of the elevator.

'Ms. Potts!' Maia greeted, not expecting to meet the CEO of Stark Industries.

'Hello', Pepper greeted. 'I hope I didn't interrupt anything important.'

Maia shook her head. 'We were just finishing up', she said. 'What are you doing here, if I may ask?'

'Oh, I came to return this to Peter', Pepper said, holding Ned's X-Man comic in her hands. 'I've still got some time until my lunch break ends and F.R.I.D.A.Y. told me you were still here.'

Abe raised an eyebrow at Peter. 'Dude, is there anyone here you don't know?' He asked, at the same time Ned whisper-shouted, 'Oh my God Pepper Potts is holding my X-Man comic!'

Pepper made her way over to Peter when she spotted him in the group. 'Hey Peter', she greeted.

'Hey Ms. Potts.'

'What did I tell you about that?' She said with a smile. 'Call me Pepper. Besides-' She held up her hand with the ring. '-it's going to be Mrs. Stark soon anyway.'

'Right', Peter remembered, 'sorry Mi- Pepper.'

'No need to apologize for that', Pepper told him. 'Anyway, here's your Comic.' She handed it to Peter.

'It's Ned's actually', Peter said, pointing at his friend next to him.

'In that case,' Pepper said, turning to return the comic to Ned. 'Here. I hope you don't mind that I read it during my break.'

Ned was still staring until Peter nudged him in the sides. 'UH yeah, no problem. Did you like it?'

'I really enjoyed it', Pepper told Ned. 'I never thought comics would be that interesting.'

Pepper eyes rested on MJ. 'You must be MJ', she said. 'I've heard about you from Peter. I'm-'

'Pepper Potts', MJ finished for her. 'I know. I wrote an essay on you in 5th grade. Pepper Potts: Model of modern-day female empowerment.'

'Wow', Pepper said, sounding incredibly impressed. 'I'd love to read that.'

'I'll have Peter sent it to you', MJ told her. 'He owes me a favor anyway.'

Pepper's watch beeped. 'Oh, I have to go', she said. 'I have a board meeting in 10 minutes. It was lovely meeting all of you.' She turned towards Peter. 'I'll see you tonight, assuming that Tony already told you everything.'

'Yeah, he did', Peter replied. 'You're coming too?'

'Yeah the mansion is being redecorated so it's uninhabitable right now', Pepper explained. 'Speaking of which-' Her phone went off, cutting the conversation short. 'I'll text you about it', she said, then she stepped into the elevator. She waved at them as the doors closed.

'Peter, would you please switch lives with me?' Charles asked when Pepper left. 'My parents are really nice, and there's a dog. You'll only have to put up with my little brother.'

That caused everyone to laugh. Soon, everyone started to offer to switch lives. Well, almost everyone. His best friends and the teachers just laughed with him.

When they all calmed down again, it was finally time to go. One by one the groups went down with the elevator until Peter's group was the only one left again. Peter got permission from Ms. Warren to stay behind and take another elevator up to the living quarters.

'Bye dude', Ned said before stepping into the elevator. 'Have fun meeting the Avengers. Or what's left of them anyway.'

'WHAT?!' Flash screeched from the back of the elevator. 'He's meeting the AVENGERS?'

'Shut up Flash', Cindy snapped.

To Peter's surprise, Maia gave him a hug before stepping into the elevator. 'Thanks for making my last tour a special one', she said. 'Bye.'

'Bye.'

The elevator door closed and Peter let out a relieved sigh. It has been quite an interesting and eventful day.

Peter took the private elevator all the way up to the 90th floor. He managed to make it to the couch before dropping face first down on the pillows. He'd have to wait here until Happy picked him up. He was about to turn on the TV when he remembered that Pepper said that she'd text him. And knowing her, she probably did it immediately after she finished her phone call.

Peter took his phone out of his pocket and told F.R.I.D.A.Y to play his Relax Playlist.

Peter's phone had been on silent mode the entire day, so he wasn't surprised to see some notifications. He'd been tagged in 5 Instagram pictures, received 10 Snapchats (most of them of him being told off by Tony Stark), and had about 30 WhatsApp messages. Most of them were from his classmates. May sent him a super long text message in which she explained why she was going on this date and told him that no, this didn't mean that she's 100% over Ben, but she's trying to move on with her life. She also wrote that she wanted to tell him this in person, but she kept chickening out of actually telling him until it was too late.

Peter sent her an equally long message telling her that he supported her decision and that he'd be glad if she could find someone she deserved. He thought about adding a reminder to use protection as a joke, but that would've been waaay too weird so he decided against it. He added heart emojis instead.

Then he moved on to Pepper's message.

Ms. Potts: Hey Peter, the renovation of the mansion is almost done. Can you pick out a couple of designs that you'd like for your bedroom? -14:25

SpiderMAN!: I get a room?! -14:36 (read)

Ms. Potts: Of course you get a room. The mansion has enough space for ten guestrooms. And since you're over almost every weekend, you might as well have your own room. -14:37

SpiderMAN!: OMG THANKS! -14:37 (read)

SpiderMAN!: I'll go do that Right Now! -14:37 (read)

SpiderMAN!: Wait, aren't you supposed to be in a meeting rn? -14.38 (read)

Ms. Potts: I've managed the art of appearing to be paying attention while doing something entirely different. I would've been bored to death by all these meetings if I hadn't. -14:38

SpiderMAN!: Wow. -14:39 (read)

SpiderMAN!: Plz teach me that. -14:39 (read)

Ms. Potts: Sorry Peter, it's something you learn in the field. I can't help you with that. -14:40

SpiderMAN!: :'( -14:40 (read)

Ms. Potts: I have to go, my CFO is eying me. -14:41

SpiderMAN!: Good luck! -14.41 (read)

Ms. Potts: Thanks! -14.42

Peter couldn't help himself from grinning as he laid buried his face in a pillow. When did this become his life? He spent his free time fighting crime, got to hang out in labs with genius scientists, texted with the CEO of a multinational, AND he got to meet other superheroes. And just to think that he was just another nobody a couple of months ago.

Peter was slowly lulled to sleep by the music. And in a couple of hours, Happy would find the boy sleeping on the couch with a huge smile plastered on his face.


End file.
